Liberty Center’s Emma Babcock, left, Rachael Pinson, Brittany Atkinson, and Jenna Vollmar leave the course after winning the Division III state championship.
SPECIAL TO BLADE/PHIL LONG
The Liberty Center girls cross country team won the Division III state championship for a third straight season.
The Tigers were led again by junior Brittany Atkinson, who won her second individual state title. She also won the race as a freshman.
Atkinson finished with a time of 18 minutes, 31.45 seconds, followed by teammates Paige Chamberlain (ninth), Jenna Vollmar (22nd), Olivia Kundo (30th), Cheryl Davenport, Rachel Pinson, and Hannah Knapp.
Wauseon junior Taylor Vernot captured a state title in the D-II girls race by running a personal-best time of 18:40. Her effort also helped the Indians place sixth.
In D-I, Clay sophomore Haley Hess turned in a stellar run and earned All-Ohio honors with her sixth-place finish with a time of 18:41.39. Her top-10 placing helped the Eagles finish eighth in the team results.
Perrysburg, led by Taylor Monheim (38th, 19:18.23), recorded its best team finish at the state championship in team history by placing fifth overall among the 16 D-I girls teams involved in the state championship.
Among the boys, Liberty Center also reached the state championships and placed sixth in D-III with Cameron Weaks (29th, 16:52.71) leading the way.
Otsego’s Brandon Avers, a junior, finished 11th in the D-II boys race to earn All-Ohio recognition. Wauseon junior Quintin Reiser also earned All-Ohio status after placing 14th.
Bryan’s boys team, led by Evan Morr (24th), finished sixth in D-II.
St. Francis de Sales’ Dan Siebenaller (54th) and David St. John (56th) guided the Knights to a 13th-place finish in D-I.
— Donald Emmons